Apparatus for saturating absorbent articles



June 2, 1936. 5. PV MILLER APPARATUS FOR SATURATING ABSCRBENT ARTICLESFiled Nov. 1, 1952 T0 I/ACUUM PUMP I NVENTOR JZuarZ Firrme/e/V/flerATTORNEY V Patented June 2, i936 APPARATUS FOR SATURATING ABSORBENTARTHCILES 1 Stuart ll. Miller, Englewood, N. 3., assignor to The BarrettCompany, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationNovember 1, 1932, Serial No. 640,655 3 (llaims. (Cl. 91-46) Thisinvention is directed to apparatus for saturating absorbent articles,and particularly, apparatus for'continuously saturating and impregnatingfibrous conduits employed to conduct and of voids per gram of tube wallto 2.8 or more cc. of voids per gram of tube wall. To determine thecubic centimeters of voids per gram of tube wall, a small sample of tubewall (say 2"x 5") is dried 5 protect underground cables, telephonelines, elecfor one hour at 100 0., cooled, desiccated and 5 tric light,and other conductors, and for the thereafter weighed. It is thenimmersed in keroformation of water pipes and drain pipes to rensene,maintained at a temperature of 25 C., for Her them substantiallywaterproof and resistant 18 hours. Thereafter, the sample is removedfrom to abrasion, corrosion, and conditions encounthe kerosene, drainedin vertical position for 30 tered above or underground by fibrousconduits. seconds, and again weighed. The difference in 10 While, asabove stated, the invention is particu- Weight represents the keroseneabsorbed. This larly adapted for the saturation of fibrous condifferencein weight in grams, divided by the duits, it will be understood that itmay be emspecific gravity of the kerosene, corresponds to ployed tosaturate small fibrous or other articles the cubic centimeters ofkerosene absorbed. This requiring impregnation, such as spools, coils,etc., volume in cubic centimeters, divided by the origi- 15 asbestosarticles, concrete pipes, flashing blocks, nal weight in grams, givesthe voids in cubic centietc. This application is a continuation in partmeters per gram. of my copending application Serial No. 619,939, It isan object of this invention to provide apfiled June 29, 1932. paratusfor saturating porous or absorbent arti- The article to be saturatedmay, of course, be cles in a simple and continuous manner. The 0prepared in any known manner. In the case of apparatus of this inventionis of high capacity fibrous bases for conduits, newsprint and paper lowin operating and equipment costs, capable pulp, or other fibrousmaterial may be beaten of automatic operation, materially reduces satinthe usual paper heaters and the resultant stock uration costs, andresults in uniformly saturated 2:, screened and then pumped to papercylinder maconduits of improved waterproofness and resistchines andthere formed into wet felts or paper. ance to corrosion, abrasion, andsoil pressures. The wet paper may be wound about a cylindrical Further,the apparatus is flexible and can reador other shaped tube or mandrel toproduce a' ily be adapted to efiiciently saturate articles vary- Wetconduit of proper thickness. This conduit ing widely in their porosity,e. g., dense or porous may be dried in kilns to remove the majorporconduits, with different saturants. 3o

40 dimensions may vary. As they, come from the lower melting point D JeS- r fe red Ditches 40 drying kilns, they usually contain from 5 to 8av ng mel ng points of from 140 tol80 F. or per cent moisture, althoughconsiderably more higher will have a free carbon content of from than 8per cent moisture may, on occasion, be 5 to 9 pe cent. u Ditches ofhigher ee Ca found present. bo content up to from 15 to 25 per cent, or

4a The porosity or absorptive characteristics of even higher may be usedto give commercially 5 the walls of fibrous conduits may vary withinwide satisfactory saturation under favorable condilimits from a verydense wall of density corretions, e. g., in saturating articles havingcomsponding to hard wood and exceedinglydimcult p r tiv y p n wall s rut re.

. to saturate with low carbon water gas tar pitch Preferably, coal tarpitch made by a vacuum or even with other waterproofing material, suchdistillation process, such for example as disclosed 50 as asphalt, to aporous open wall similar in denin Patent No. 1,759,816, granted May 20,1930, or sltyto that of roofing felt, which will readily absorb otherprocesses minimizing decomposition of the bituminous saturants. Samplesof present comtar undergoing distillation, is employed as the mericalfibrous conduits have been tested and Y saturant. Pitches made by a lowtemperature found to vary from substantially less than 1 cc. vacuumdistillation process are characterized by 55- tion of its moisturecontent. The fibrous base may, of course, be prepared in other knownmanner. Such conduits are made in several sizes, commonly varying from 2inches to 6 inches or larger in internal diameter, have an average wallthickness of approximately of an inch and are usually produced in 5, 6,and 8 foot lengths. The wall thickness of the conduits may, of course,be greater or less than of an inch andother As the saturant for theconduits, coal tar pitch, water gas tar pitch, asphalt, cutback pitches,

' blended Pitches, or other waterproofing material may be used. A coaltar pitch having a melting point of from to F. is particularly suit- 3able for saturation of fibrous conduits. Pitch of a-melting point ashigh as 225 F. may be used in special cases,.e. g., where conduits areto be exposed to temperatures which would soften the pitches areparticularly suitable as the saturantfor fibrous conduits.

Besides waterproofing absorbent articles such as conduits, thisinvention may be employed in fireproofing, oil proofing, gas proofing,insulating, painting and. coloring such articles. For exam ple, infireproofing an article, it may be impregnated with an aqueous solutionof inorganic salts, e. g., solutions comprising inorganic phosphates, inoil proofing a resin or cellulose solution may be used, in gas proofingand insulating the articles may be saturated with resin, cellulose orrubber mixture and in painting and coloring the articles may beimpregnated with paints, lacquers, enamels or varnish.

This invention is particularly directed to apparatus for the saturationof conduits in plants having very large quantities of conduits requiringsaturation. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of thisinvention, a tubular member of flattened U shape is disposed with thelegs of the U immersed in saturant contained in tanks and thus sealed.The height of the legs is preferably made sufficientto accommodate amaximum barometric column of saturant with the upper portion of the Uproviding an evacuated space. Tracks are disposed in the saturatingtanks running from one tank up through one leg of the tubular member,down through the other leg into the other tank, and returning to thefirst mentioned tank. The conduits may be placed in vertical position incars which are arranged to run on the tracks. Thus conduits are carriedby the cars through the saturant in one tank, up through the saturant inone leg of the tubular member, into the evacuated space in the upperportion of the tubular member, down through the saturant in the otherleg of the tubular member, into and through the saturant in the othertank, and out from this tank. During the passageof the conduits from onetank to the other, out of contact with the saturant, draining andcooling thereof may take place.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the invention isshown incorporated in the production of fibrous conduits saturated withbituminousmaterial and the present disclosure will be confined to thepresent illustrated embodiment of the invention. It will be understood,however, that the novel features and improvements are susceptible toother applications, such, for example, to apparatus for saturatingarticles generally. Included in the scope of my invention is apparatusfor saturation of conduits made of cement, concrete, cement-asbestosmixtures, or other porous or absorbent articles capable of beingsaturated. Hence, the scope of this invention is not confined to thespecific embodiment herein described.

In the drawing, in which like reference numerals designate like parts-Fig. 1 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of a preferred formof apparatus embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section, partly inelevation, of a modified form of apparatus embodying this invention.

Referring to Fig. 1; reference numbers I and 2 designate two large tanksspaced apart and each provided with a valve-controlled drawolf 3, anoverflow pipe 4 near the top thereof and a pitch or other saturant pipefeed line 5. If desired these tanks may be connected by means of a line(not shown) running from the base of one tank to the base of the otheror one large tank 23' may be employed into which the ends of the tubularmember hereinafter described extend, as shown in Fig. 3. Extending upfrom each tankis a tubular member composed of legs 6 and I, each at anacute angle to the horizontal, this member preferably being of the shapeshown in Fig. 1. The lower ends of legs 6 and I are open and dip beneaththe saturant in tanks I and 2, the level of saturant therein being atall times maintained above the exit point from the legs 6 and I, so thatthese legs are sealed by the liquid saturant within the tanks againstthe atmosphere. Tracks II on the base or floor plate 8 of the tubularmember extend through the tanks, as indicated by the reference numeral 9onto platforms II) disposed contiguous to the tanks. Cars I2 arearranged to travel on the tracks II. The tracks extend from one tank Iup through leg 6, down through leg I, through tank 2, onto platform III,and back to the tank I. A series of cars I2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,are designed to travel onto the tracks being moved continuously orintermittently through the apparatus by a suitable cable or chain I3passing between the tracks and over sheaves I4, I5 rotatably mountedadjacent tanks I and 2, respectively. Shaft I6, on which sheave I4 iskeyed, has keyed thereon a pulley I1 over which passes a driving beltI8. This belt may be driven from any suitable source of power. A switch22 is associated with the track I I to permit theremoval of cars fromand the addition of cars to the series of cars running through the tanksI, 2 and the tubular member.

The top of tubular member constituted of legs 6 and I is connected to avacuum pump (not shown) by a line I9. Foam chambers and separators asdisclosed in my copending application may be disposed in line I9 tocollect foam and return any volatile oils removed from the saturant. Thetubular member is of such height, i. e., the point represented byreference numeral 20, extends above the level of saturant in tanks I and2 to such height, that a maximum barometric column of saturant may bemaintained in the legs 6 and 1. For coal tar pitch having a specificgravity of 1.2 this height should be in excess of 28 feet so that anevacuated space, indicated by the reference numeral 2I, may be provided.If desired the height of the tubular member may be such that little orno evacuated space is provided above the level of saturant in the legsor such legs may be of a height insuflicient to accommodate a barometriccolumn of saturant.

The cars may be loaded with the conduits in vertical position, asindicated in Figfl, just prior to their passage into tank I, then causedto travel through tank I, up through the column of saturant in leg 6into the evacuated space 2|, down through the column of saturant in legI into the tank 2, and thence out of this tank, returning to tank I.During the travel of the cars from tank 2 to I they may be passed firstthrough heated and then through cooled zones to expedite the drainingand cooling of the conduits. Tank I may be elongated so that as the carscontaining the conduits pass therethrough the conduits are immersed insaturant-in tank I and soaked during their passage through this extendedpath. In the case of wet conduits, partial or complete drying of theconduits may thus be accomplished.

The term continuous is used herein in a broad sense and is intended toinclude the passage of mittently, i. e., step-by-step through the dryingand/r saturation zones, the articles remaining at rest for predeterminedperiods of time in their passage therethrough, as well as the non-stoppassage of the articles through the drying and/or saturation zones. I

It will be noted that the apparatus of this invention is continuous, ofhigh capacity, capable of automatic regulation, requires a minimum ofsaturant for its operation and results in uniformly saturated conduitsof improved waterproofness.

It is to be understood that this invention is not restricted to thepresent disclosure otherwise than defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for saturating absorbent articles, in combination, acontainerfor thesaturant, a conduit composed of legs at an acute angleto the horizontal, said legs extending above the saturant in thecontainer and having open ends immersed in the saturant in the saidcontainer, means for maintaining vacuum conditions in said conduit,guide and supporting means mounted on the interior surface of said legs,carriers for said articles disposed to travel on said guide andsupporting means, and means for moving said carriers through said legs.

2. In apparatus for saturating absorbent articles, in combination, meansfor confining a saturant, a conduit composed of legs at an acute angleto 'the horizontal, said legs extending above the saturant in theconfining means and having open ends immersed in the saturant, means formaintaining vacuum conditions in said conduit, guide and supportingmeans mounted on the interior surface of said legs, carriers for saidarticles disposed to travel on said guide and supporting means, andmeans for moving said carriers through said legs.

3. In apparatus for saturating absorbent articles, in combination, twotanks for saturant at atmospheric pressure, a substantially U-shapedtubular conduit, the ends of the legs of the U constituting the inletand outlet of said conduit, said inlet and outlet being, respectively,immersed in the saturant in said tanks and thus liquid sealed againstthe atmosphere, means for creating a vacuum in the top of the saidU-shaped tubular conduit, the legs of said U-shaped conduit being of alength more than suflicient to accommodate a barometric column ofsaturant, thus providing an evacuated space in the upper portion of saidU-shaped tubular conduit, rails passing through the saturant in onetank, through said tubular conduit, thence through the saturant in theother tank and returning to the first mentioned tank forming acontinuous circuit passing through said tanks and conduit, and cars forthe absorbent articles arranged to travel on said rails.

STUART P. MILLER.

